A Very Jellicle Christmas
by The Penguin Ate My Homework
Summary: Christmas, Jellicle style. A series of one-shots centered around our favorite cats in the holiday season.
1. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer

**A Very Jellicle Christmas**

"_Ooh!_"

"Teazah! Shh!"

The tiger-striped queen simply giggled, prompting an exasperated sigh from her partner in crime. She stretched up eagerly, her paws gently removing a glittering silver ball from where it hung on a green, prickly branch. With the utmost care, she deposited the decoration into the sack on the ground, already filled with ornaments and tinsel. The lowermost branches of the tree were nearly bare already, a sure sign that Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer had come calling.

"All righ'," Mungojerrie said, standing back a little and nodding at their handiwork. "I think that's enough now. We'd best be gettin' this back to the Yard now, Teazah."

Rumpleteazer nodded and giggled again, deftly tying the top of the bag in a knot. Mungojerrie hefted his own bag up onto his shoulder as the queen did the same, and the two turned to make their escape. Rumpleteazer cast one last glance up at the tree, sighing happily at the sight of all the shining decorations, the brilliant lights flashing all different colors, the string of pearls draped lovingly over the boughs at the very top of the tree…

Rumpleteazer stopped instantly, her neck twisted around to stare at that single string, her eyes widened slightly. Mungojerrie turned to see what had caught her attention, his eyes drifting up to follow her gaze, and then his eyes too widened, but for a much different reason.

"Teazah, _no_," he said in a hushed voice, shaking his head. "It's too high. You'll nevah get it!"

"I can, Mungo, I really can!" Rumpleteazer insisted, her voice just as quiet. The family was just in the other room, she knew, and though they were happily settled around their dinner (for once, the duo had left their meal untouched, instead focusing on the Christmas tree heist), it would not take much for one of them to come running in an attempt to catch "those horrible cats" in the act.

"Teazah…" Mungojerrie protested weakly, but his voice sounded resigned. Once Rumpleteazer had her mind set on something, there was not much point in arguing.

And no one could change her mind, ever, when it came to pearls.

(Sometimes, Mungojerrie wondered why their humans even bothered with pearls anymore. They had never had a set that lasted longer than a day before going missing, and none of the strings were ever returned or recovered.)

"Fine," he said, shifting his bag over to the window and dragging hers over there as well, so they could make a much quicker getaway when this went wrong. "Jus' make it quick, an' be careful!"

"I know," Rumpleteazer said, grinning mischievously at him. She turned back towards the tree and, her muscles tensed and tail swishing behind her, jumped up nimbly, clinging to the branches and hurriedly rushing up the tree, miraculously avoiding any ornaments. Mungojerrie watched nervously, heart pounding, as she made her way up towards the string of pearls. The tree wobbled dangerously, the ornaments clinking together, but still none of them fell. Still, the tomcat moved out of the way of the tree, one eye remaining firmly on it anxiously.

"Careful, Teazah, don' make it fall!" he called up, but Rumpleteazer didn't bother to answer him. Instead, she disentangled one paw from the tree branches, stretching it out and snagging the string of pearls.

"Catch it, Mungo!" she hissed just before she yanked it free, letting it fall to the ground as Mungojerrie scrambled to get into position, managing to reach the falling string just before they struck the ground. He scowled up at his partner in crime, growling slightly.

"A little warnin' would be nice nex' time!" he hissed, but Rumpleteazer merely giggled again. The tomcat retreated back to the window and watched as the queen shifted from side to side, twisting her head around to look down beneath her, obviously looking for a way down. The tom groaned.

"Don' tell me you can't get down!" he whispered just loud enough for her to hear. Rumpleteazer growled softly, but shook her head.

"Don' worry, I can! But, uh…you migh' wanna get out o' the way," she added quickly, just seconds before Mungojerrie saw her muscles tense and realized her intention.

He muttered a little curse under his breath, snatching up the bags and flinging them out of the open window, ignoring the little tinkling sounds that told him that some of the glass balls had not survived the throw. He jumped up onto the sill himself, hesitating before following the bags, and turned just in time to watch Rumpleteazer make her leap.

The tiger-striped queen hit the floor gracefully, landing already at a run and using her leftover momentum to jump up onto the sill beside Mungojerrie. She was out the window in an instant, only the tiniest rustling of grass an indicator of her gentle landing, and then she was hissing for Mungojerrie to hurry.

The tree, however, did not fall so gracefully.

It rocked wildly for a few moments after Rumpleteazer's jump, swaying to and fro as the ornaments rocked and fell loose, bouncing off of each other and rolling along the floor if they did not shatter instantly. Mungojerrie could hear the human family crying out to each other, those horrible cats were at it again! And still the tree rocked and swayed.

Just as the sound of chairs scraping back against the floor could be heard, informing Mungojerrie that the family was coming and he had better get out of there, the tree made its final tilt and came crashing down.

Glass flew out in all directions as the decorations shattered, pine needles filling the room with their scent as they were crushed beneath the branches.

At last the thief jumped free of the window, hitting the ground next to Rumpleteazer and grinning at her as outraged cries sounded from just inside.

"Nice one," he told her, and the queen grinned back at him wildly, obviously thrilled with what she had accomplished.

"Thank you," she said primly, preening herself slightly. "You got the pearls?"

Mungojerrie nodded, presenting the string to her proudly. "O' course," he said, and she took them eagerly, draping them over her neck in a loose loop.

"We'd best get whatever's left back to the Junkyard," Mungojerrie said after a few moments of listening to the family rage and cry from inside. With a final look back at the window, the two thieves took off, towing their stolen prizes behind them.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm probably going to post these until I get bored. Or until Christmas. I haven't decided how many yet, but I guess it depends on how much free time I have with nothing to do but sit around and play Solitaire and check to see if my grades are posted yet every five minutes. I've got plans for Mistoffelees, vague ideas for Demeter and Bombalurina, and I'm probably going to end up doing most of the kittens too because I always seem to end up writing the kittens. Munkustrap is already written. If you've got a favorite cat, feel free to make a suggestion! I'll probably post at least a few a day from now on.

By the way. I'm not entirely happy (or at all happy) with this ending, and I know that the situation was kind of predictable...but it was fun to write! Hope it was amusing anyway.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Cats_ or any of its characters. (Didn't feel like putting this at the top, for no particular reason.)


	2. Munkustrap

**A Very Jellicle Christmas**

"Stripey! Stripey, where are you?"

Munkustrap held back the hiss that tried to escape. He heard little feet scamper past, saw their shadow pass by him, but fortunately none of them bothered to look for him under the bed and he was as yet unnoticed. A sigh of relief escaped him and he relaxed the tiniest bit.

This was ridiculous. He was the Protector of the Junkyard, second only to Old Deuteronomy. He routinely faced off against Macavity and defended the tribe from intruders of all sorts, rats and Pollicles and rogue cats. He was respected amongst the tribe and feared amongst any potential enemies.

So _why_ in the name of Bast was he hiding from a couple of young human kits?

He tensed again as more footsteps went past. This time, they were not so light, and the gray and black striped tom cursed to himself. The parents had become involved now, and his hiding place was doubtful to hold up for long against them. He edged further back against the wall, hoping that the cluttered space and the shadows would keep him hidden long enough for him to make a break for it.

Perhaps if they were distracted, he would be able to dart outside and make it to the Junkyard safely.

Luck was not on his side.

"There he is!" he heard the mother say, and a couple of thrilled squeals informed him that the kits were still there. A moment later, a pair of arms had reached under the bed, gently tugging him out from his shadowy sanctuary. Briefly the cat considered clawing the offending limbs and biting until the humans gave up, but tossed that idea out quickly. He would never purposely hurt his humans, even if they were putting him through this torture, and especially not with the kits there. They were still very young, and would be upset if their beloved cat turned on their mother. So he let them pull him out and scoop him up without resisting, heaving an enormous sigh and flicking his tail, but letting those be the only signs of his displeasure.

"Now, why don't you show Stripey the pretty collar you made for him?" the mother was saying, and the little human queen bounced and giggled, clapping her hands together a few times in glee. Her brother, a year older and slightly calmer, simply grinned and pulled his hands out from behind his back. Munkustrap bit back a groan at the sight of the object there.

An extra collar had been decorated, and obviously the adults had helped in the endeavor, as it was far more elaborate than the young kits could have achieved on their own. The simple black leather strap had been dowsed in green glitter until the original material could barely be seen, and a red ribbon had been tied into an enormous bow. To top it off, bells had been added to the center of the bow, little silver bells that tinkled gently every time the collar was moved even just slightly.

Munkustrap remained limp and docile as the humans removed his plain red collar and replaced it with the jingling monstrosity. When they set him down to admire the new look, he stood there with his shoulders hunched and head down, allowing them to 'ooh' and 'aah' over his new appearance for a few minutes until they got bored. Then, with more giggles, the pair followed their mother out of the room, off to find some other venture to amuse them.

Munkustrap sighed heavily. He _could_ simply remove the collar now that the humans were gone, but just as he wouldn't hurt the humans, he couldn't bring himself to take it off. The kits would be so disappointed if he did, and no doubt they would just catch him again to put it back on.

He would have to wait until he left for the Junkyard that night before he could remove it.

The sound of bells irritated him with every step as he trotted out of the human bedroom and towards his usual haunt, the window seat of their den. As usual, the oldest of the human kits, nearly an adult herself, was seated there, a book in hand as she lounged in the sun. Almost like a cat herself in that regard, Munkustrap thought as he jumped up beside her, grimacing as the bells once again tinkled gently. The girl looked up and laughed quietly, but lifted him up and placed the gray cat on her lap.

"Poor Stripey," she cooed teasingly, stroking him as she went back to her reading. "That's all right, soon you won't be alone. They're making another one for Simba right now."

Munkustrap purred at that, grinning viciously as he looked over to where the young kits were seated on the floor, their mother supervising as they went about creating another of the monstrosities. He was pleased to note the obscene amount of red glitter and the enormous green bow. And the bells. Oh, the bells.

The Tugger would never know what hit him.

* * *

**A/N:** I loved writing this one, so I couldn't resist putting it up tonight! And there is a follow-up with Tugger (featuring appearances from Munk, Bomba, and Demeter), but I am not so fond of that one. I'll try to fix it up a little bit more before I post it, so that might not be until tomorrow. Maybe tonight. We'll see.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Cats_ or any of its characters. Still don't feel like putting this at the top.


	3. The Rum Tum Tugger

**A Very Jellicle Christmas**

"Get out, Tugger. Bomba will see you later," Demeter said, smirking at the tomcat as he huffed, smoothing down his ruffled fur and mane as he trotted towards the cat flap in the door. He and Bombalurina had been having a perfectly nice evening, and then Demeter had to come home from her stroll around the neighborhood and ruin it.

"Aw, babe, you won't even see me. Me an' Bomba'll be quiet, I promise. Unless you'd rather join in," he added with a leer, unable to resist. To his pleasure, the scarlet queen watching from behind her sister grinned in amusement, though Demeter's gold fur stood on end, a hiss escaping from between clenched teeth.

"Get out, Tugger," she repeated threateningly, her eyes narrowed. "Before I decide to cut off that mane of yours." Bombalurina gave a short laugh, trotting up to stand next to her sister, still looking highly amused.

"Seriously, Tugs, just go," she said, grinning, much to Tugger's disappointment. "I've got to get ready for tonight anyway. Don't you want me to look pretty for you?" she asked innocently, batting her eyes as Demeter rolled hers. Tugger was back to his usual self immediately, his leer returning as he eyed the red queen up and down.

"You look good enough already, babe," he said, stepping forward to continue their previous activities, but Bombalurina shook her head and trotted back into the house. Demeter was still eyeing him threateningly, a contemplative look on her face as she stared pointedly at his mane, and so the tom thought it best that he retreat while he still had all his hair.

It was a short walk back to his humans' house, but he took his sweet time despite the frigid air and the snow on the ground. Living with Munkustrap wasn't so bad, as long as the tabby was leaving him alone, but those human kits were always chasing him around to pet him.

And they called him Simba. _Simba_. Just being in the house was an injury to his dignity.

Still, they gave him food (and plenty of it), and Munkustrap left him alone if he brought Bomba over, which was more than they could say about Demeter. So he made an appearance every now and then to keep them appeased and reaped the rewards.

Tugger managed to slip into the house mostly unnoticed, and immediately looked around warily, waiting for one of those young kits to pop up wanting to hold and pet him. Or worse, the older kit, who seemed to find it exceedingly entertaining to play with his mane, braiding it and tying bows into it, much to Munkustrap's amusement.

Fortunately, none of them seemed to be around for the moment, so he streaked out of the open space and into the room where his bed was. He curled up there, hoping that the humans would have the sense to leave him be until he was able to leave for the Junkyard that night.

But in that household, it was surprising enough that he managed to go five minutes without a disturbance, dozing off into a nap. After that time was up, he found himself rudely awoken by a set of tiny hands reaching down and grasping his collar. Before he could even let out a yowl to make his displeasure known, it was yanked off and another put into place. There was the sound of bells as this second one was strapped on, but the humans had removed their hands before he could start to claw at them, and the Tugger frowned as he shot up to his feet.

The bells sounded again, and he froze, twisting around to search for the source. It was coming from right behind his head, and he couldn't seem to see it no matter how much he turned…

_No._ Oh, no. The human kits were giggling happily, their mother laughing outright at the cat's antics. Behind them, Tugger could see Munkustrap standing in the doorway, snickering at him and wearing some…horrible, horrible thing. Glitter and a big red bow and _bells_.

It wasn't long before the humans lost interest. Tugger wasn't a very exciting subject—all he did was stand there in horror, not daring to move for fear of setting off that sound again. Finally, once they were gone, Munkustrap trotted forward, jingling all the way.

"Looking good, Tugger," he snickered as his brother rushed towards a mirror, twisting from side to side to examine the horror around his neck. Sure enough, he was now wearing the match to Munkustrap's…thing, a big green bow atop layers and layers of red glitter.

* * *

"I like the bow, Tugs," Bombalurina said with a laugh, and Demeter just couldn't stop grinning as she trotted past him and towards Munkustrap, who was now looking quite embarrassed to be caught wearing that thing. Tugger had attempted to remove the horror as soon as the humans had left, but Munkustrap had demanded that they wear them until they left for the Junkyard. That way, he'd said, they wouldn't upset the kits, but no one would see them wearing the…things.

Unfortunately for the toms, Demeter and Bombalurina had decided to meet them at the brothers' house rather than heading off to the Junkyard separately.

"You've got one too," the maned tom muttered unhappily, but that just made Bomba laugh even louder. She was, indeed, wearing a bow as well, but hers was a small, shiny gold thing, and even Tugger had to admit it looked nice. Demeter, nuzzling Munkustrap comfortingly while trying not to laugh and make him feel worse, had a matching red one.

And no _bells_.

"Whatever," Tugger said then, tossing his head back and ignoring the jingle of bells and the snicker that Bombalurina couldn't conceal. "I'm takin' this thing off right now, and never lookin' at it again," he declared defiantly, daring Munkustrap to argue with him as he reached back to tear the stupid thing off.

"Oh, no you don't," Bombalurina said, butting him none too gently with her head to stop him, still grinning madly. "You're wearing this _all night_, or you won't be seeing any more of me for a while."

Tugger almost tore the thing off anyway, but the look on Bombalurina's face told him that she was serious.

"Babe, really?" he pleaded, but she simply shook her head, still smiling.

"Oh, yes," she said, laughing in the face of his stricken expression. "You're going to wear it _all night_, and then maybe later we'll make those bells ring some more."

Well, _that_ brightened him up, at least, even if it did make Munkustrap roll his eyes and Demeter hiss a little in disgust. And speaking of the gray tabby…

"Fine, but Munk's wearing his, too."

* * *

**A/N:** Tugger's chapter! I'm not as fond of this chapter as I was of the last one, but it was still fun to write. I like torturing Tugger. Let me know what you thought about it!

I don't really have any more definite plans now, but Demeter and Bombalurina's chapter might be up next, just because I seem to be on a roll with this group. Probably Mistoffelees after that. Both of those might be up by tonight, or maybe tomorrow morning. And I'm having fun writing these, so I definitely anticipate going at least until Christmas.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Cats_ or any of its characters.


	4. Bombalurina and Demeter

**A Very Jellicle Christmas**

Bombalurina turned to and fro, examining herself in the mirror from every angle. Her new, ribbon-adorned collar shimmered slightly in the light, catching the scarlet queen's eye and making her purr in satisfaction. She smoothed her fur down with her paws, her tail swishing behind her.

"Really, Bomba?" Demeter asked from the doorway, and Bombalurina grinned at the reflection of her gold-furred sister.

"A queen's gotta look good," she said in reply, casting one last look at her image on the glass before turning away. "After all, all the toms will be looking at us tonight. You know it's true," she added, smirking, when Demeter made a face.

"I thought you were with Tugger now," the gold queen said instead, rolling her eyes. "And I've no interest in any toms but Munkustrap, you know that."

"I do know that," Bombalurina agreed, ignoring the first statement entirely. She might be mated with the Rum Tum Tugger, but he certainly wouldn't give up on preening to all the queens, so why should she stop showing off for the toms?

"You two can hardly keep your paws off of each other for more than a few seconds when you're together," she went on, grinning as Demeter's ears flattened in embarrassment.

"That's not true," the gold queen hissed, her eyes narrowed for a second as she slunk out of the room, Bombalurina on her tail. "Besides, you're one to speak! Or have you forgotten about your little…visit from Tugger earlier today?"

Bombalurina smirked at the reminder. "Oh, I haven't forgotten _that_," she said, her voice full of suggestions that made Demeter huff in exasperation. "You walked in just as it was getting good, though, Deme."

Demeter rolled her eyes and huffed again, speeding up a little in an attempt to outpace her scarlet sister. Bombalurina simply cackled and picked up her own pace, keeping up with the shorter queen easily as they headed out of the bedroom and towards the main room.

Their humans were out that night, fortunately, off visiting their own family, so the two queens didn't have to worry about attracting undue attention as they began collecting things from around the house.

Several candles were swiped from the tabletop and laid on the floor by the door. A few moments later, a long strand of ribbon joined them, followed by a few bright red flowers whose stems had been hastily cut by a sharp claw to remove them from their pot. And, finally, a bright white cloth, stolen from the linen closet, which all the other objects were piled onto, the cloth tied firmly into a little sack which Bombalurina picked up and slung over her shoulder.

"I think I know how Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer feel now," she grumbled as the pair headed towards their door, Demeter snickering slightly at Bomba's disgruntled expression.

"I hope not," she said, slipping outside first and watching as the red queen struggled to fit through with the large package over her back. "We don't need another thief in the Junkyard, we've got enough trouble with the ones we do have."

The next few minutes passed in silence as the two sisters trotted off towards Tugger and Munkustrap's house. Snow fell gently as they walked, dusting over their paw prints soon after they were made. Bombalurina was content to travel quietly, both of the sisters lost in their own thoughts. Bomba herself was thinking about the Tugger and about the night they would have, the holiday celebration at the Junkyard. Demeter was looking thoughtful and perhaps a bit sad, and Bombalurina had no idea what was making the gold queen look that way until she spoke up softly.

"Bomba. Can we…do you mind if we stop here for a minute?" she asked, already coming to a halt herself as the duo passed by a dark alleyway. Bombalurina turned to stare at her sister confusedly, about to open her mouth and ask why, until she realized exactly where they were.

"Yeah," she said softly, a sudden melancholy coming over her as she stared down the alley. "Yeah, I think we can stop."

Demeter nodded gratefully, giving Bombalurina a tiny, watery smile, then turned and trotted down the dark path. The red queen followed without a word, catching up with her sister as the gold queen stopped at the very end, blocked off by a tall, dirty brick wall.

"Remember when we came here the first time?" Bombalurina asked, her voice very quiet, as if afraid to break the silence but unwilling not to speak up. "Back when we were just kits and so excited to be free?"

"Yes, I do," Demeter said, smiling, lost in her memories. "And she sat up with us all night when we were too frightened to sleep, and told us Macavity would never come for us again."

"And she taught us how to hunt and played hide and seek with us all day, then came back here every night. For three weeks, until she brought us to the Junkyard," the red queen finished, smiling as well now. Demeter sighed happily, but then her head dipped low and all of her happiness vanished instantly.

"I miss her," she whimpered, and Bomba could do nothing but nod. The sorrow was so very new, the pain so very fresh. It was only a month ago that they had lost her.

An idea came to the red queen suddenly as she shifted the sack over her shoulder, and she dropped it suddenly, making Demeter start in surprise and stare as the older queen dug through the little pack eagerly.

"Bomba…?" she said questioningly, her ears coming forward curiously, but Bombalurina just ignored her for the moment until she finally pulled out her prize.

A single flower, its petals smooth and bright red. The scarlet queen took it up in her teeth and laid it gently by the wall, setting it down in the snow. For lack of any other resting place, this would have to do for the queens' remembrance of the cat who had been as good as a mother to them.

"I miss her too. But we can still remember her," the scarlet queen whispered, and Demeter nuzzled her comfortingly.

They stood there quietly for a few more moments before the gold queen sighed again, turning away from the red flower, lightly dusted over with snow.

"We should go now," she said, her voice heavy with grief, and didn't wait for an answer before turning to trot away, seemingly unable to be near all these memories for any longer. Bombalurina nodded, though she knew that her sister wouldn't see it, and picked up the pack to follow.

"Merry Christmas, Grizabella," she said softly to the empty alleyway, then turned away and trotted out of the alley.

* * *

**A/N:** A bit more serious than the other chapters, but I kind of like it. The second half more so than the first. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but probably sometime tomorrow. I wanted to get it done tonight, but I was a bit busier than I'd anticipated. Let me know what you think of this, and Mistoffelees will be up soon! (Probably Victoria after that.)

And yes, there is a reason why Demeter and Bomba were stealing things to bring to the Junkyard. Same reason why Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were stealing ornaments in the first chapter, actually. I'm sure you can guess it, but I've got a definite plan for the very last chapter. Possibly posted on Christmas day, possibly the day after, depending on how much free time I have.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Cats_ or any of its characters.


	5. Mistoffelees

**A Very Jellicle Christmas**

In a small house, a crowd of people had gathered. They stood in any available space, pressed close together, the air filled with the noise of a dozen different conversations going on at once. Little plates of food were scattered on every flat surface, cups set down carelessly, decorations adorning the walls and tables.

There was also a slight uproar in the kitchen.

"Where is that cat?" a woman demanded, scowling as she brandished her wooden spoon like a weapon. Those around her shrugged helplessly, none willing to speak up and draw her attention (and her wrath) towards them.

When the woman received no answer for over a minute, she threw her hands up in the air, little pieces of food flying off of the spoon in all directions.

"Fantastic!" she groaned, rolling her eyes. "All the family here for the holiday dinner, and all our silverware missing—_again_. I swear, one of these days I _will_ find out where it all goes!" Off to the side of the kitchen, one little girl giggled, pressing her hands quickly over her mouth when the woman turned to glare at her.

Completely unnoticed from his vantage point in the doorway, the Magical Mister Mistoffelees snickered.

The small black cat turned to weave his way through the crowd, somehow managing to remain unseen despite trotting over feet and through legs. At one point, he jumped up onto the couch between two humans and jumped over the back of it, and still neither of them even blinked.

Sometimes, being a magical cat had its benefits.

He made his way out of the crowded, noisy, stuffy rooms in the front of the house and towards the empty spaces in the back, the spaces that were closed off for the night. He nudged open a door which had previously been firmly closed, letting it shut of its own accord behind him, and sighed in relief at the sudden quiet.

At his side, a little pile of spoons, forks, and knives lay innocently.

* * *

The night wore on slowly, the sky outside slowly darkening as Mistoffelees watched from the window. Occasionally, whenever he heard the humans begin to search for him, he would cast his voice out into another part of the house, throwing them off as they looked for him. He smirked again as footsteps made their way past this door, human voices calling out his name.

At last, the sun had set completely, and the noise from the crowd of humans had died down slightly as the party began to break apart. At last, Mistoffelees stood from where he had been resting on the windowsill, stretching out luxuriously and hopping down to the floor.

The others of the tribe may not be appearing until slightly later, but Mistoffelees (and his unique abilities) were needed there early.

As he trotted out of the room and towards the front door, where he would once again slip out unnoticed, he left the little pile of silverware directly in plain sight on the floor, to be found much later by his human family. It might have been nice to add this set to his (admittedly rather large) collection, but he had decided earlier to let the family have these back. As a little gift from him.

It _was_ the holidays, after all.

* * *

**A/N:** Very, very short, and kind of hastily written, but I didn't get very much accomplished today. Victoria's will come tomorrow, and we'll see after that... Hope you enjoyed this short chapter anyway!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Cats_ or any of its characters.


	6. Victoria

**A Very Jellicle Christmas**

The little white kitten batted playfully at the shiny silver wrapping paper before her, her paw striking the little box with a hollow thumping sound. Her ears flicked forward at the noise and she batted at the box again, pushing it off of the little pile in front of her before jumping up after it.

The elderly woman sitting beside her chuckled softly.

"No, my dear, you're supposed to _open_ them," she said teasingly. The man sitting on the couch nearby smiled broadly, picking up the box from in front of his feet and setting it back on the others.

"Maybe you should help her, then," he suggested, reaching down to rub between Victoria's ears. She purred loudly, rubbing herself up against his legs happily.

The elderly couple had adopted her when she was very young, and were always spoiling her with little gifts and treats. Christmas, of course, meant a long shopping spree for them and a new collection of shiny collars, toys, treats, and other gifts for her.

The enormous house was nearly silent, no noise coming from the other rooms. The children, all grown up and with their own children now, would be at their own homes.

"Look, dearest!" the woman was crowing happily, ripping away a little piece of the shiny wrapping paper, revealing the plain white box underneath. Victoria smiled fondly as the woman continued to rip away tiny pieces of paper, obviously trying to demonstrate to the kitten what she was supposed to do. Usually, such kittenish antics would be beneath her, but she would play along for her human family's joy.

With her claws out slightly, she pulled at the paper, darting backwards as a piece snagged on her claws and ripped away. She ventured forward again as the two humans laughed softly, giving a tiny mew as she began to rip at the paper again. Soon enough, the paper was torn away, leaving the little box sitting there alone.

The process was repeated for all the other gifts, Victoria acting as the perfect, playful kitten as her humans smiled and laughed.

Gift after gift was revealed gradually. A little stuffed mouse that squeaked when she slammed a paw down on it, startling her into leaping away with flattened ears and cracking her humans up for several minutes. A ball that rattled and jingled when it was rolled around, a fact which had Victoria pushing it about for several minutes once it was placed in front of her. A new bed, made of a soft, fluffy white material, making the white kitten nearly invisible when she curled up on top of it. A little bag of treats in all sorts of flavors and shapes.

The gifts went on and on, Victoria showing her pleasure with mews and purrs, rubbing her head against her humans, letting them rub her between the ears. The gift-opening went on for a little while, until finally the floor was covered in wrapping paper and all of the gifts were laid out. There was plenty there, and so when her humans left her for the night, going to their own dinners, Victoria gathered her things together and began separating them out.

The little ball would go to Etcetera, and would probably amuse her for hours on end, though others might get irritated. Electra would like the shiny silver collar—the others often thought of her as simply a tomboy, but Victoria and the other kittens knew that she liked to wear fancy things sometimes. Jemima would get the stuffed mouse, as her favorite toy had recently been shredded by a hyperactive Pouncival. She added several other objects to her little pile, for the tom-kits and for Jennanydots and Jellylorum (who always cared for all the kittens and had treated her like their own when she was very young and without her parents), smiling happily at the sight.

Her humans enjoyed giving gifts to her, but Victoria knew that they would not mind her giving some things to her friends. In fact, sometimes she suspected that they knew.

The sun had just set and the sky was darkening when Victoria heard meowing from outside. She grinned and darted towards the door, greeting the other queen-kittens with enthusiasm and ushering them in quickly. They admired her new diamond collar for a few moments as the group headed towards the room where their gifts were set down.

As they gasped over their gifts and thanked the white kitten profusely, Victoria simply sat there, pleased with their reactions. She suddenly understood why her humans enjoyed watching her opening their gifts so much.

Before she left for the night, she made sure to stop in the den briefly and mew a soft goodbye to her humans. The elderly couple looked up briefly from their conversation, both smiling at her before returning to it.

Victoria flicked her tail once, smiled at them, and disappeared out the door into the snowy night with her friends.

* * *

**A/N:** Not as short as the last chapter, but still somewhat short. Sorry about that! And tomorrow's a busy day for me, so whether I get a chapter out or not depends on how much time I have. If I get it out, it'll be Jellylorum and Jennyanydots. After that, I think it's just going to be the final chapter, which is the entire tribe. I have a plan, I swear!

Let me know what you thought of this chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Cats_ or any of its characters.


	7. Jennyanydots and Jellylorum

**A Very Jellicle Christmas**

"Just set it down and go," Jellylorum snapped as Tumblebrutus entered the den, carrying a little mouse with him. The tom-kitten started at her tone, his ears flicking forward in surprise.

"Uh…where do you want it?" he asked, edging back a little as she aimed a fierce glare in his direction.

"Anywhere that has space. Now put it down and _leave_," the elderly queen hissed, and Tumblebrutus obeyed instantly, dropping it from his paws immediately and fleeing the den.

"And bring back more! We still need more!" the matron called after him, but got no response—the kitten was already out of hearing range. Jellylorum hissed, her lip curled back slightly as she retrieved it from the ground, flinging it towards a little pile of similarly obtained mice.

"Is he coming back, then?" Jennyanydots asked as the other queen returned to her place. The two were settled around a little fire where they were preparing an enormous meal for the entire tribe. Normally, of course, the cats did not do any sort of cooking, preferring their prey fresh, but today was a special occasion, and the two had wanted to try out their skills for once.

Of course, they couldn't gather all of the supplies they would need on their own, so they had recruited all of the kittens to hunt down their food for them. So far, they'd received a large supply of mice, and a slightly lesser supply of birds. The queen-kits had abandoned them a while ago to meet Victoria at her house, but the toms were still running around for them. Then there were some of the older cats, who had managed to procure treats and other foods from their human families for the meal today.

Some of them (the Rum Tum Tugger) had complained about this, but under threat of Jellylorum and Jennyanydots, had complied anyway.

"Pouncival, get away from there!" Jennyanydots snapped suddenly, her head whipping up to glare ferociously at the little tom-kitten currently reaching a paw towards the pile eagerly. The kitten in question froze immediately, his paw just a few inches away from his prize, and grinned nervously at the two queens growling in his direction.

"I just wanted to try one!" he whined, pouting a little. "I've been out hunting for you all day and I haven't eaten _anything_!"

"And you won't, either, not from this kitchen," Jellylorum said, putting her paws on her hips as the two queens continued to stare at the young tom. "If you want something, you can go and find it for yourself. I wouldn't believe for a minute that none of the others have gone hungry all day, just as I don't believe you have either."

Pouncival shrugged, still grinning a little sheepishly, and Jennyanydots pointed firmly at the door.

"Now, _get_," she said in a warning tone, sending Pouncival scurrying away out the door and out of sight.

Jennyanydots and Jellylorum turned to each other with exasperated expressions, rolling their eyes simultaneously before getting back to work.

Now, if only they could get through the rest of this afternoon without any further interruptions…

* * *

**A/N:** Oops! So, I'm a little bit late with this. My apologies, but the last chapter probably won't be up until tomorrow either. It's been a busy few days for me. Of course, I seem to be snowed in now, so it'll probably be done by tomorrow morning. Better late than never, right?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Cats_ or any of its characters.


	8. Finale

**A Very Jellicle Christmas**

"Is everything ready?" Munkustrap asked, ignoring the snickers and giggles that were still going around the Junkyard. Demeter at his side was smirking, biting back a little laugh every time the tomcat shifted and jingled the bells on his neck.

His only consolation was that, somewhere in the Junkyard, the Rum Tum Tugger was getting the same treatment.

"Just about, yes," Jennyanydots said, looking quite frazzled from her long day of work. Her fur was sticking out in all directions, and behind her, Munkustrap could still see Jellylorum rushing around, setting out little plates of food and bowls of water. There was enough, he could see, for the entire tribe, all laid out on a big white cloth taken from Demeter and Bombalurina's home. Candles were lit all around, and everything that could be covered or wrapped in ribbon and tinsel was.

And, the centerpiece of it all, the old, rusted car, covered in ornaments and decorations until it was barely recognizable.

Seeing Munkustrap staring at it, the elderly queen shrugged slightly.

"Well, we couldn't get an actual tree, so we had to make do," she said unapologetically, and Munkustrap smiled and nodded.

"It's perfect," he said, and Jennyanydots smiled at him once more before turning to help Jellylorum.

Looking around, Munkustrap could see all of the cats gathered around, milling about and waiting for the meal to begin. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were enjoying being praised for their thievery for once, bragging and pointing out the things they had brought. The tom-kittens were lounging around, flopped down right on the ground and looking quite exhausted. The queen-kittens were all seated in a circle nearby, giggling and squealing over some little objects they were holding, while Victoria looked quite happy and pleased.

"We're ready now!" Jellylorum called out, standing back from the table with Jennyanydots. The tribe all began to gather around the cloth, grouping together with families and friends, all crowding around to sit near a plate. Some (Bustopher Jones) were quite impatient to start eating, but Jellylorum hissed softly and stood still, waiting.

There were a few moments of whispering and shifting about, and then the lights dimmed suddenly, sending a tense hush over the entire table.

Lights around the Junkyard flared up suddenly, little white points dotting all of the junk piles, hovering in the air all around the table. The car was the most brilliant of all, flashing red and green. And right above the center of the makeshift table, the brightest light of all, casting a warm glow over all of the tribe.

The tribe gasped in awe at the sudden sight, then burst into applause and praise. Mistoffelees found himself the center of attention as he emerged from the darkness, ducking his head slightly and going to join his friends and family at the table.

"Are you coming, Munkustrap?" Demeter asked quietly, motioning with her head towards the rest of the tribe. Munkustrap nodded, smiling, and trotted off after his gold queen to join the celebration.

* * *

**A/N:** A few days late, but here it is at last! I hope you enjoyed this little story. I certainly enjoyed writing it!

There's a possibility that I'll be writing a New Year's story, but we'll see about that. It depends on whether I can think of an actual plot or not.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Cats_ or any of its characters.


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